1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image recording method and a device which encode, split and multiplex moving image data and sound data associated with moving image data by predetermined sizes, and an image converting method and a device which convert multiplexed moving image data and sound data into playback data format in which playback auxiliary information is to be recorded.
2. Background Arts
MPEG2 (Moving Picture Experts Group Phase2) is widely used as a format to compress moving image data with sound data obtained by image recording devices such as a digital camera, a video camera, and the like. Referring to the upper portion of FIG. 7, moving image data V and sound data A, associated with the moving image data V, are independent data streams respectively. The moving image data V and the sound data A are encoded and multiplexed in MPEG2 format.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 11-296312 discloses a method to packetize compressively encoded sound data followed by compressively encoded moving image data, and record the packet data in a recording medium. Each packet data has the size of integer multiplication of fixed data block.
Further, in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2001-24983, encoded data obtained by encoding moving image data is temporarily buffered until the encoded data has the size of certain units. At the same time, attached information related to the encoded data is also buffered. Buffered attached information is multiplexed in a predetermined area of the encoded data of certain units.
Processing (See the lower portion of FIG. 7) is carried out in order to convert compressed moving image data with sound data, which is compressed by MPEG2 format, into DVD (Digital Video/Versatile Disc)-Video format data. In other words, multiplexed moving image data V and sound data A in MPEG2 format are demultiplexed to form respective data streams again. Thereafter, the data streams are remultiplexed by inserting NV_CPK, which is playback auxiliary information unique to DVD-video format, at the initial address of a unit (VOBU, Video Object Unit) which includes the sound data A and the moving image data V.
When the MPEG2 format data is converted into the DVD-Video format data by the above-mentioned method, an additional area in a memory is necessary to temporarily buffer demultiplexed moving image data V and sound data A. Further, the above-mentioned method is inefficient since it requires additional time for remultiplexing the data streams. Therefore, the above-mentioned problems cannot be solved by the methods disclosed in Japanese patent laid-open publications No. 11-296312 and No. 2001-24983, since demultiplexing and remultiplexing processes cannot be omitted to form the DVD-Video format data.